A Song For The Weekend!

Have a great one!


Credit: Grayburn (Terms of Use)

Retro Lush & Breakups

Lush and I had a fallout a while back but it was mainly my fault. I gave it too much attention and I was at the point of down right infat- uation and obsession. Not healthy at all!

If you have followed Lush's products over time, you know that they have stopped producing some of their gush-worthy items and others that were rumored to have existed but very few of us ever got to experience (you can see some of them here). The Retro Lush items were my drug but more specifically, the drug went by the name of Aqua Mirablis Underwater (the Retro version, pictured above).

My first dab into Lush was a refrigerated tub of their fresh Cupcake facial mask which instantly had my senses tingling with glee and skin bouncing with vitality. And then I met the aforementioned drug which we'll now just call AMU. AMU was a little bar of powdered solid body butter topped with marigold petals. It really was what soft smooth skin's made of. With sandalwood oil, rose absolute and gardenia extract, it was a scent made for dreary days.

I used to have a bathing ritual using AMU. First, I filled my bathtub with warm water. Then I rubbed AMU all over wet skin, as the ground almond shells exfoliated away all unflattering flakes. AMU had a spell over me and made the usually unglamorous job of exfoliation feel luxurious. Final step - I would sit in the warm water until the water started to cool. Heaven I tell you! The combination of exfoliation, heat, water and cocoa butter transformed my skin every time.

When I heard rumors that they were discontinuing production of AMU in that format, I became an addict that feared not having her substance. I began to hoard and bought all displayed bars of AMU at one time, and, even sent friends overseas to collect more for me. I was so frightened of what a disappointment the new Aqua Mirablis was going to be.

As you all know that Lush' products are natural based, they have only a certain amount of shelf-life. Well, my bars of AMU began to turn rancid (after about a year though). It got to the point that I actually had to unwillingly dispose of them. What a horror that was! After that point I never wanted to step into Lush again in fear of experiencing heart-break like that again.

It has been 3 years since then and I finally stepped into a Lush store the other day with BFOG by my side. As I stood inside the store, it all felt somehow familiar but different. I walked by the the hall of the soaps and when I reached the body butters where the new AMU now sits (it used to be in the bath melt section), I only 'eyed' the new AMU (pictured above).

BFOG and I walked out of the store with a bag of goodies and big grins on our faces. With my renewed happy and healthier attitude with Lush, I am happy to say that I will be sharing my thoughts on a few of their products with you shortly.

Any Lush fans out there? Want to share your thoughts on your Lush favs or boos? Please do!
Oh and Happy Halloween!

Credit: Grayburn (Terms of Use), lush.com

Sing & Get Glowing - Agyness Deyn And The Five O'Clock Heroes

This song is getting under my skin.

I am devotee of cranking up the volume on my laptop and playing sing along. When my mood is good and I am happy, the glow seems to return to my skin. For this particular song, I deliberately sing Agyness's part higher pitched than her. It is a lot of fun!

Have a great weekend everyone!




Credit: (Terms of Use), youtube.com

Top Find In Paris

Inside this unassuming shop, in an unlikely location in Paris, is a treasure chest of a find for makeup enthusiasts. I am not sure if this is the 'secret' of Paris that I have been searching for, but this was a definite top find for me. I have been feeling the fondness for attending makeup training grow inside me for some time now. Stepping into this store did nothing but reinforce those feelings further.

This is Paris Berlin, a professional makeup store which caters to the unique needs of a makeup artists. While they sell quite a few items that I personally cannot relate to (i.e. fake blood), it was their tables upon tables of skin-colored creams and liquids that had my attention. Testing my hand at the board of pro-quality eye shadows also had me twirling in joy. I had the feeling that there was so much to look at and I didn't have time to savor it all.

Whilst the company stocks other major brands such as Kryolan and Ben Nye, it also sells their house brand of makeup and skin products (i.e. makeup primer & demaquillant). With all the possibilities in the world of makeup available in this store, I picked up only one thing. After some time of testing the product, I will proceed with a review of my purchase shortly!

FYI: Visit the store only when they are not busy as they normally only cater to pro makeup artists.


Credit: Grayburn

The Best Of The Bestest

It is an honour to have received the Brillante Weblog Premio Award '08 from the talented bloggers at Fashion Binge, who's writing leave me giddy and eager for more.

I am not too good with acceptance speeches (because of my lack of practice), but I would love to experience what Halle Berry did when she accepted the Razzie Award for Worst Actress in Cat Woman. Only a woman who has been at the top of the game can truly have so much fun with the situation.



So now I have the difficult task of handing this award out to my fellow bloggers. A task like this is much bigger than me. But first, the rules:

1) When received, you may post the premio to your blog.
2) Link to the blogger you received it from.
3) Give it to 7 blogs
4)… link to those 7 blogs
5)…and leave those seven bloggers a comment about receiving the brilliant premio.

I have the pleasure to present to you:

Category: Best MAC News Source
SPECKTRA BEAUTY NEWS featuring Janice, Jamie & Jennifer

Category: Best Detailed Beauty Reviews
BINARY STAR featuring Izar
(who by the way, has been spotted in a new blog outfit!)

Category: Best Poses & Inspiring Outfits
SEARCHING THE INNER ME featuring The Seeker

Category: Best Closet In Blogsphere
TIMES OF GLORY featuring Miss L

Category: Best Relatable Beauty Reviews
LILY LOVES MAC featuring Lily

Category: Best Beauty Resource For Women Of Color
CLUMPS OF MASCARA featuring B

Category: Best Place To Admire Pretty Things
MUSINGS OF A MUSE featuring The Muse

Waiting For The MAC Electroflash Collection

While waiting for the MAC Electroflash collection to reach our shores, I have got something that will just about wet my appetite! These are little cheap thrills to get me through this torturous period of waiting and obsessing over yet another new MAC collection (a reoccurring obsession I cannot seem to shake).

Now I have talked about Hema's house brand of makeup quite a few times (I have even turned a friend of mine, who works at MAC, onto their nail polishes!). They really make the most excellent quality of nail polishes and their eyeshadow collection is getting better and better.

In line with the gold & bronze trend that is so summer and flattering on everyone, I picked up 3 mineralized eyeshadows from Hema's new line. Just like MAC's new Electroflash mineralized eyeshadows, these are em....mineralized, have a dome shape, can be used wet & dry, and have that interesting veining that we all love. Granted these are not very pigmented, but that is because they make gorgeous washes over the lid or as spot highlighters. The pluses with Hema's are that they are fragrance free, and contain chamomile extract, vitamin E and jojoba oil. All of them apply smoothly with great slip and they work wondrously over MAC paint pots.

Eyeshadow W&D 04

A base of Russian gold stirred with white, 14k gold and silver.









Eyeshadow W&D 01

The sheerest in the bunch; this looks pretty in the pan but is the disappointment in this group. Perhaps great for those who prefer very subtle shimmer. I will top off my lipstick by patting this shade in the middle of my lower lip.

Eyeshadow W&D 02

Cool-toned version of MAC Amber Lights, will work great paired alongside MAC Tempting. Veining varies from gold to bronze.







Photo Credits: Grayburn

Pupa Cosmetics - Cute As A Button!

I came across these when I was visiting St. Petersburg in Russia. These are absolutely adorable! Raise your hand if you are easily sucked in by pretty packaging... I have my hands and feet in the air! Inspired by the Matryoshka dolls from Russia, Pupa designed a series of makeup and perfume that are as cute as a button.

The design of the little compartments and detachables in the 2 palettes are extremely playful. Playing with them brought me back to my childhood when I loved to play 'house' with my portable fold-out miniature house, with little plastic furniture and tea sets.

The color choices in these palettes can be categorized as "teenage". They are filled with chalky pinks & blues, and sparkly glosses for the lips. I wished they were not priced at 45 euros (apprx.) each, and, the colors be a little more adult-friendly!


Photos: pupa.it

Love This Girl

A very talented, powerful Dutch singer. Anouk is singing "Modern World" in this video, a new song from her new album "Who's Your Momma".




Who do you love?


Credit: youtube.com

Flying

I'm flying today! I haven't really told you where I'm going, but I think a few of you may already know. I'm going quite far from Europe this time. Here's a clue:



Credit: youtube

Mineral Makeup Special

Photo: the weekend bag from Chanel

Hello! Just wanted to take a moment to say thank you to those of you who drop by to visit my blog. I am so glad that we have an interest in common and that you are not shy to tell me about it as well!

I want you to know ahead of time that I will be doing a series on mineral makeup in the coming weeks. I have been hiding this one for a while because I wanted to gather information, try out many many products and finally share my successes and failures with you. As someone who is equally skeptical and faithful in the idea of 'natural products', I hope to share my findings and personal experiences with you. The details of the ups and downs will not be edited out.

I hope you will be here to join me! Have a wonderful weekend!

Grayburn

Outstanding Women

What a better way to sum up the week of hard work than to smile about being awarded the "You Make My Day Award" by 3 very special ladies. Their gorgeousness is intoxicating and their positive attitudes infectious. They are (in no particular order) The Seeker, Izar and Vanessa. I will tell you more about each one of them below and share with you the other fantastichicas I am nominating for my own "You Make My Day Award". I soak up every word from their blogs everyday!

The Seeker - For inspiring me everyday with her fashion sense and her brains! She also has an intriguing sense with colors and shapes. I look forward each day to see what she's wearing

Izar - For her keen artistic-ality and for being such a whole-hearted person. She shares with us a glimpse into her life with her discoveries, trials and happiness.

Vanessa - For always sharing with us her makeup hauls and the latest news in the cosmetics world. She has a special talent in photography and is someone who is so damn good with that eyeliner (the best I have ever seen)!

The Muse - For always keeping me up to date on cute and pretty makeup. She is warm and her bright smile helps me start everyday positively!

PJ - She never fails to bring us news from the best cosmetics out there. Her blog is like bread and butter to me! She is sincere and courteous and never misses the opportunity to connect with her readers.

Annieytown - For her dish everyday on iconic beauty items that keep me wanting and going back for more! She has a 6th-sense when it comes to what's beautiful and her wittiness often puts a smile on my face!

Jackie & Hillary - For their no-nonsense advice on beauty. I have come to trust their opinion. I am there everyday to see what I need and do not need in my makeup cabinet!

Friday Feature: Beautiful Candles to Get Now

We've all seen all the wonders they can do with wax and candle-sculpturing. They can be such pieces of art.

There is something however very wonderful and beautiful about a container candle. They instantly set the mood of the room as they can become center pieces in the living room or by you at tub-side. They also make such great house-warming or first-time-visiting someone gifts.

Take a look at these special ones below....

For something festive:
....when the family is there

KarenKlein Candles Holiday Collection, Ornament Design


For something elegant and romantic:
....when it's just the two of you

Etro Heliotrope Perfumed Candle


Comptoir Sud Pacifique Perfumed Candle, Vanille Abricot


For something trendy:
....drinks at home with co-workers

Jen Lew Designs Soy Candle, Bamboo


For something uncluttered but nice:
....lunch party with friends

Clean Ultimate Perfumed Candle


Fresh Scented Candle, Sake


For something feminine:
....when you want some time for yourself

LoLLIA Relax Luminary Candle


Malie Kauai Soy Candle, Gardenia


For something exotic:
....when you are feeling adventurous

Nyakio Candle, African Tea



Claus Porto Voga Acacia Tuberose Candle

Claus Porto Ilyria Honeysuckle Candle


Read last Friday's Feature